Box



May 30, 1933.

IIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIII eefefzeee! BOX llllllIIIIIIIMIHIIIIIIIIIllllllll Filed Hay 6, 1929 if //|I||IIIIIIIIIIIII|IIlllllllllllllllll F. J. SCHLEICHER IIIIIIIIHHIIIIIIII Patented lli/lay 39, i933 FRANK J. SCHLEICHER, OF UNIVERSITY CITY, MISSOURI BOX .Application led May G,

rlhis invention relates to boxes, and has special reference to boxes of ornamental design and appearance and it consists of the novel construction, arrangement and rela-k tionship of the parts of a box having one or more partitions dividing the box into separate compartments, and an equal number of hinged lids or covers for the respective compartments into which the box is divided.

An object of the invention is to provide.

box having one or more partitions rising from the bottom of the box and extendingl from one to the other of two opposite walls, in combination with a number of lids or covers hinged to the walls of the box for ivotal movement at right angles to each other and having adjacent edges arranged to overlap the upper edge or edges of the partition or partitions so that each compartment is closed by its respective lid or cover while the lid or cover for any of the other compartments may be opened and closed freely.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a box of the typ-e and character mentioned having lids or covers of novel -construction and arrangement' and provided withindicating devices on their free edges and constituting visible designations of the free edges of the respective lids or covers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box having the lidsor covers for the respective compartments hinged to the rear and end walls respectively in a manner in which the hinges are enclosed between the inner and outer plies of theV box walls and 't iereby concealed and in'which the lids or covers have projecting portions limiting extent of movement to open positions and arranged to Contact with thefouter surface of the walls to support the lids or covers in outwardly inclined positions when the lids or covers are opened. rhis feature of the invention involves a construction and ar# rangement which prevents the lids orv covers from moving beyond the intended inclined open position.

Other ob `ects of the invention will appear from the following description. reference l being made to the drawing .inwhich- 1929. Serial No. 360,646.

Fig. l is a plane view of a box constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front side elevation of the box. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 5%3 of Fig. l. v

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the box comprises a base l supported at the corners on downwardly and outwardly inclined legs 2. The bottom wall 3 of the box is mounted on the base l or may constitute an integral part of said base if desired, or the basel and the legs 2 may be omitted from the box and still leavethe present invention complete.

A'rear wall 4 extending the full length of the box rises from connection with the rear edge of the base 3 and ismatched by a similarly shaped front wall 5 extending' the full length of the box and rising from the front edge of the base 3. An end wall 6 extends upwardly from connection with one end of the base 3 and has its ends united or connected with the adjacent ends of the walls 4 and 5. A similar wall 7 rises from connection with the opposite end ofthe base 3 and has its ends united or connected with the adjacent ends of the walls 4 and 5.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown, the upperv edges of the walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 are in the same horizontal plane. These walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 constitute the inner ply of material of which the box walls are formed. I provide an outer ply 8 attached to the outersurfaces of all of said walls 4, 5, 6 and 7 and extending the full heighth thereof. VThis outer ply 8 may be attached to said walls by glue or cement or other appropriate fastening means. The outer walls of a box constructed in this manner may be relatively thin.

In this box I provide a partition having its lower edge attached to the base 3 and its ends attached to the walls 4 and 5 and having its upper edge in the same plane with the walls 4 and 5. This partition 9 is of greater thickness than the outer walls of the box. That is to say, irrespective of the thickness of the outer Walls of the box, the

partition 9 must be of suflicient thickness to permit adjacent edges of doors or lids for the compartments 10 and 11 to seat upon the uppei edge of said partition so that when the lid or Cover for the compartment 10, for instance, is opened or closed the lid or cover for the compartment 11 may be opened or closed without disturbing the iid or cover for the compartment 10, and vice versa.

l also provide another partition 12 arising from connect-ion with the bottom wall 3 and having its ends connected with the walls 4 and 5 and forming a compartment 13. The upper edge of the partition 12 is in the same plane as the upper edges of the box walls 4 and 5. This partition 12 is of greater thickness than the thickness of the walls 4 and 5 in order to permit the lids or covers for the compartments 11 and 13 to overlap the upper edge of said partition 12 so that either compartment may be opened without disturbing the lid or cover for the other compartment.

F or the compartment 10 1 provide a lid or cover comprising an inner section or ply of material 14. This member 14 is essentially of a width such that when in proper closed position of the, lid the edge ef said member 14 which is upon the wall 6 is even with thel outer surface of said wall 6 while the opposite edge of said member 14 seats upon the upper edge of the thick partition wall 9. The front and rear edges of the member 14 are essentially overlapping the Walls 4 and 5, This is to say the member 14 forms av complete closure for the compartment 10. Upon this member 14 an 4intermediate stiff ply 15 is attached by glue or other fastening means. This member 15 is of somewhat greater width than the member 14 so that the outer edge of the member 15 projects beyond the outer surface of the wall ply 8 while the inner edge projects slightly beyond the inner edge of the member 14 that is seated upon the partition 9. A hinge 16 which may be of suitable fabric such as canvasl` is provided for this lid, one edge of said hinge 16 being interposed between the members 14 and 15 and fastened by glue or other fastening meansj and the other edge of said hinge 16 being confined and enclosed and concealed between the wall ply G and the wall ply 8. The outer surface of the lid or cover which am now describing comprises a layer or pty 17 preferably of less width and length than tlie'ply 15 so that all of the edges of ply 15 are spaced inwardly from the edges of the ply 17. An indicating device 18 which may comprise a piece of ribbon or the vlike has one end eX- tending between the edges of the members 15 and 17 opposite from the hinge'G and secured in such posit-ion by glue or other fastening means. The member 17 is similarly 1 ttached to the member 15 by glue or other fastening means.

The lid or cover for the compartment 13 is of precisely the same construction, arrangement and relationship of parts as the lid or cover for the compartment 10 above described. Said lid or cover comprises an inner ply 19 having its outer edge upon the wall 7 and its inner edge upon the partition 12, and its front and rear edges upon the walls 4 and 5 5 an intermediate ply 20 of stiff material like the ply 15 and having its edges projecting beyond the edges of the ply 19; a hinge 21 having one edge enclosed and confined between the plies 19' and 2O and secured thereto by the glue or other fastening means whereby the plies 19 and 20 are fastened together and having its other edge extending between the plies 7 and 8 and secured thereto by glue or other fastening means; and an outer ply 22 glued or otherwise fastened upon the ply 20, an indicating device 23 in the form of a piece of ribbon or other-suitable material having one end attached between the plies and 22 by glue or other fastening means securing the ply 22 on the ply 20.

Thus the lids or covers for the compartments 10 and 13 are hinged to the parallel end walls 6 and 7 and have their free edges toward each other. Either lid or cover is movable independently of the other.

The lid or cover for the intermediate compartment 11 comprises an inner ply 24 of suflicient vlength for its rear and front; edges to seat upon the rear and front walls 4 and 5 while its end edges seat upon the partition walls 9 and 12. An intermediate ply 25 is glued or otherwise fastened tothe ply 24 and is of greater width and length than said ply 24 so that the front and rear edges of said ply 25 project forwardly and rearwardly beyond the walls 5 and 4. A hinge 26 comprising a piece of flexible material such as canvas or the like has one edge confined and secured between the rear edges of the members 24 and 25 and its lower edge confined and secured between the wall plies 4 and 8. Thus the entire hinge 26 is concealed from view. The ends of the ply 25 are adjacent to the inner edges of the plies 15 and 20 but need not contact or engage with said plies.Vv The upper ply 27 is glued or otherwise fastened on the ply 25 and is preferably of less length and width than the ply 25. An indicating device and handle 28 has one end confined and fastened between the front edges of the plies 25 and 27 by the glue or other fastening means whereby the plies 25 and 27 are held in proper relationship.

From the foregoing it must be apparent that the projecting edges of the plies 15, 2O and 25 constitute shoulders or abutments which will engage against the outer wall ply 8 and support the respective lids or covers in upwardly and outwardly inclined positions. Such upward and outward inclination of the respective lids or covers is permitted by the improved construction shown and described in which the edges ot the plies 14, 19 and 24 are approximately in alinement with the wall plies G, 7 and il, respectively. By spacing the inner edges of the plies 17 and 22 from the ends of the ply 27, the flexible indicating devices 18 are always visible whether the lid or cover tor the compartment 11 be open or closed. Thus there is always a visible indication to inform the user which edges ot the respective lids or covers are free. Moreover, when the devices 1S and 23 are projecting above the lid or cover tor the compartment 11, the said devices 1S and 23 may be used linger tabs or handles for opening the end lids or cover So, too, the device 28 indicates which edge of the lid or cover for the compartment 11 is free, and said device 28 also constitutes a nger tab or handle for opening and closing said lid or cover. lt is apparent that either compartment may be opened without disturbing the lid or cover for any other compartment, and that each other compartment remains completely closed until its lid cover is positively opened by intent of the user.

The construction shown obtains many advantages. The distance between the walls 6 and 9 is much less than the distance be* tween the walls fl and 5, so that the widtl oi' the compartment 10 from the wall 5 to t-he wall 4 is much greater than the transverse width from the wall 6 to the wall 9. The compartment 13 has dimensions similar to the dimensions of the compartment 10.

Boxes that are intended to be applied to many uses must be constructed ot light ma terial in order to serve their intended purposes in a satisfactory manner. For instance, boxes that are intended to contain candy and other confections must be constructed of light material or they will tail of their intended purpose.

Since the front to rear width ot the compartments 10 and 13 is largely in excess of their transverse width, as above explained and as clearly apparent 'from the drawing, it is necessary that the lids or covers for said compartments have much greater' width from front to rear than their transverse width. 1t is also desirable to make these lids or covers of light material and to arrange them in such a way that they will not easily become distorted and warped under ordinary variations in the conditions ot temperature and humidity of the atmosphere in which the boxes are used. The construction shown obtains this desirable advantage. The hinges 16 and 21 are attached to the outer edges of the lids or covers for the compartments 10 and 13, respectively, thus securing the wide outer' edges of said lids or covers to the walls 6 and '7, respectively, andpreventing said wide outer edges from warping. The wide inner edges of the lids or covers for the compartments 10 and 13 seat 'upon the upper edges of the partitions 9 and are thereby supported, so that said lids or covers will not sag or warp downwardly along their inner edges'when subjected to the influence of changing atmospheric conditions mentioned. So too, the side edges ot' the lid or cover 'for the intermediate compartment are supported upon the upper edges of the partitions 9 and 12 while the trent edge of said intermediate lid or cover is supported upon the wall 5. The front and rear edges of the lids or covers for the compartments 10 and 13, respectively, are supported upon the walls and l. rlhus, l am enabled to construct a box of light material adapted for use as acandy box and for other similar purposes and, in the construction ot this box, I am enabled to use materials that are ot light Weight and obtain a box that will maintain its shape and ornamental appearance indefinitely. The various compartments may be' filled with candy or other substances of ditl'erentlrinds.

rlhe construction, arrangement and re'- `lat-ionship ot parts comprising my invention may be varied within equivalent limits 'without departure trom the nature and principle or the invention. l do not restrict myself in unessential particulars but what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

, 1. ln a box, connected front, rear and end walls forming an enclosure, a lid for covering one end portion of said enclosure having one edge hinged to one of said end walls and having its front and rear portions seating upon said ront and rear walls, a lid for yan adjacent portion of said enclosure having one edge hinged to said rear wall at right angles to the hinged edge of said first named lid and having its front portion arranged to seat upon said front wall in alinement with the front edge of said first named lid, and a supporting elem-.it Jrior the adjacent edges ot said lids having its ends attached to said front and rear walls and having its upper edge extending under and supporting adjacent marginal portions or" both of said lids.

2. ln a box, connected front, rear and end walls forming an enclosure, a lid tor one portion ot said enclosure having one edge hinged to one of said end walls and having its trent and rear portions arranged to seat upon said front and rear walls, a lid for an adjacent portion of said enclosure having one edge hinged to said rear Wall at right angles to the hinged edge of said first named lid and having its trent portion arranged to seat upon said front Wall in alinement with said first lid7 and a supporting element for adjacent edges of said lids having its ends attached to said front and rear Walls and having its upper portion in alineinent with the upper edges oi' said front and rear Walls and extending under and supporting adjacent marginal portions of said lids7 said supporting element extending downwardly and separating the portions of said enclosure covered by said lids.

3. In a box, connected front, rear and end Walls forming an enclosure7 a lid for one portion of said enclosure having one edge hinged to one of said end Walls and having its front and rear portions arranged to seat upon said front and rear Walls, a lid for an adjacent portion of said enclosure having one edge hinged to said rear Wall at right angles to the hinged edge of said rst nainedlid and having its front portion arranged to seat upon said front Wall in alineinent with said irst lid, a supporting element for adjacent edges of said lids having its ends attached to said front and rear Walls and having its upper portion in alineinent with the upper edges of said front and rear Walls and extending under and supporting adjacent marginal portions of said lids7 said supporting element extending downwardly and separating the portions of said enclosure covered by said lids, and devices indicating the edges of said lids that are opposite from the hinged edges thereof.

FRANK J. SCHLEIGHER. 

